Q: Kimi, we learned yesterday that you are thinking of taking a year off from Formula One racing. What is the state of affairs?
Kimi Raikkonen: Yes, that appears to be the case. I could not agree terms with McLaren so I have decided to take a one-year sabbatical.
Q:
You always said that your staying in Formula One was dependant on
having a competitive car. Presumably you now feel this is not
achievable for 2010?
KR: Yes. I felt McLaren offered the best
opportunity to win races and challenge for the drivers’ championship
and if that would not work the one-year break is the result. And to be
honest, I will only return in 2011 if a competitive drive is available.
Q: What would you do in that year off? Rallying? Look for other talents lurking within you?
KR:
I do not know yet. I will look at competing in rallying. Again,
naturally I want to drive a competitive car. If not I will spend more
time with my family and friends.
Q: And how convinced are you
that you will be back in 2011? Couldn’t going now mean the end of your
Formula One career? Are you ready for that?
KR: As I said, I
will only return in 2011 if I can drive a competitive car. I do not
want to race just to make up the numbers. That does not interest me.
But there’s a lot of time until then, so let’s wait and see what
happens in the months ahead.
Q: The McLaren route is now
blocked following their signing of Jenson Button. What brought your
negotiations with them to a halt?
KR: My management held many
meetings with McLaren. Unfortunately, certain issues could not be
resolved. We knew in the last three or four days that it would be
highly unlikely a deal could be reached. Now we know it is definite.
Q: What about moving to the newly formed Mercedes GP team? Have you put out any feelers towards Brackley?
KR: No, I have not held talks with Brawn. I feel they will run two German drivers next year now that Mercedes are involved.
Q:
There was a lot of speculation concerning the role salary played in
Button’s switch to McLaren – and lots of reports suggesting the same
team were unwilling to meet your pay demands. What is your position on
bargaining for salary?
KR: I feel a good driver can make a
bigger difference nowadays. If you look at how close the whole grid was
this year, if a driver can lap two-tenths faster that is worth many
positions on the grid. That could easily be the difference between
winning and losing.
Q: 2009 was your ninth season in Formula
One racing. Have you achieved what you wanted? Your Ferrari successor
Alonso was quoted as saying that after Ferrari he will quit, because
after Ferrari any other team is a step down. So you could go out with
your head held high…
KR: I achieved my dream of winning the
drivers’ world championship. I would like to win another championship,
but I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple.
Q: How much of a petrol head still lays within Kimi Raikkonen?
KR:
I have enjoyed my time in F1 and I still have ambitions. In the right
circumstances I am very keen to return. The door is open. Let’s see
what the future brings.
FUCK ISRAEL 
Kimi is truly the Iceman. Meanwhile, not sure if you’ve seen it but here’s a very nice piece about Kimi from the Telegraph. It really made me smile! :)http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/6599149/Outgoing-Formula-One-driver-Kimi-Raikkonen-a-true-maverick.html
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Great emoticons by the way! I like the grumpy one, and of course the yawn.
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Thx a lot Saima for the emoticons…it put a smile on my face something that hasn’t happened for a while now :)@ribbonseal: thx too for the telegraph article a real nice one…the short interview it self is funny specially when he says "If you keep asking questions like those" lolllll I’m sure Kimi won’t be missing "questions like those" when he takes his sabbatical 😉
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I really don’t want to plagiarize and raise hopes that would die in the end, but I think you should check this out:Raikkonen to Negotiate with Mercedes GP19.11.2009Norbert Haug has confirmed that Kimi’s managers have called to Mercedes GP’s Nick Fry to open negotiations."This is normal behaviour as long as there’s a seat to be filled. Other drivers and their representatives have done the same. No decisions has been made yet" says Haug.Source:http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ka-news.de%2Fsport%2Fmotorsport%2Fformel1%2Fnews%2Fart830%2C306207Obviously, there are a lot of speculations and in the end all we will be able to trust is an official confirmation of Mercedes GP’s driver line-up. But it is widely known that Haug would definitely want Kimi in the team. It’s just Kimi who refuses this somehow. I still have faith.
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I`ll keep mum on this because there`s really nothing that I can do right now. :(Kimi is such an inspiration to me and so it`s really a tough time for all of us.
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In our country (South Africa) we have this practice of writing open letters if you want someone to really take note of something you have to say. I want to write an open letter to Kimi: Dear Kimi, I am one of your biggest fans. I also know that you have a life of your own that is private and that you can make your choices as you see fit. That is fine by me. You received this wonderful driving talent with which you have brought joy to many fans all over the world. We love to see you in action. To us you are F1. You are still very young and still have a lot to give and gain. I also understand that you want to drive a car that is worth while. This Mercedes car doesn’t sound so bad (I mean you have had much worse this past year) and Mr Brawn is a very clever guy. Please, pretty please consider a deal with Mercedes. Won’t it in any case be better than being in a team that is so obvious in their favouring of LH? You have had your share of that too. Kimi, all we ask is please do not leave F1!!
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well Kimi says that with right conditions he’ll be there, so….maybe….al that tam-tam circumstances are very tough but anyway I believe totally in Kimi and I put all my faith in him.I’m sure he’s not doing something in the bad way but he has got very clear ideas. something that we don’t know but he perfectly knows. so total trust!
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You should put a link of that interview on the Official forum, people are going crazy there…Howewer, it’s not a big problem for me that Kimi will take a sabbatical. If he is happy with his decision, well I’am happy too! And rallying is damn cool! Remenber when he race in Finland? I ad lot of fun following him! It’s different from F1 but if he is more happy in, why he shouldn’t do it?He is so talented that he will found a way to be competitive werever is!So Keep flying Kimi we love you!(great avart and great article, thanks Saima!)
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I love this part of the interview above:———————————-Q: There was a lot of speculation concerning the role salary played in Button’s switch to McLaren – and lots of reports suggesting the same team were unwilling to meet your pay demands. What is your position on bargaining for salary?KR: I feel a good driver can make a bigger difference nowadays. If you look at how close the whole grid was this year, if a driver can lap two-tenths faster that is worth many positions on the grid. That could easily be the difference between winning and losing.————————–
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haha, I love the pictures Saima. And it was totally shocking when I first heard that the negotiations with McLaren had failed. Because I went on holiday and couldn’t come online often and to get such sad news while on holiday! Terrible. Haha. Keep Flying Kimi! I’l only attend next year’s Malaysian GP if you’re racing! 😉
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Kimi,please keep smiling.You are champion,FOREVER.
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yes, Saima, it’s the heart of the interview! I feel the same!
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Haha Saima. I loved the text you put to every one of those avatars when you hover the mouse over them. Lol.Anyway, can someone please tell Kimi that the Merc car is a serious contender? And even more so with him in it. Nothing points to it being inferior to the McLaren. On the contrary. Sure the Mc made incredible progress but it was pretty shite to begin with. And Brawn didnt do much with the car after half the season gone since they were so far ahead. So they have been working on the 2010 car since then. Proof: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/f1mole/2009/11/ted-kravitz-the-abu-dhabi-gran.html
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http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/091120110259.shtmlHaug is keen on hiring Kimi, he just needs to pick up the phone and call him already! Do it, Kimi!
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@ peter: i just wrote this in the previous blog! you can’t discount mercedes/haug dealings with both brawn and maclaren teams – why see kimi at maclaren when they could have him in their own F1 team? only problem is that mercedes don’t have a rally car and the iceman must rally too!
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@Soren: I know… Kimi is in a predicament because he NEEDS a strong car. But who can predict that at this stage? He needs to go on faith I’m afraid. I know he had faith in McLaren but look at what they put in his face? I think it’s a great thing Kimi didn’t go to McLaren now, with Hamilton there Kimi wouldn’t have equal opportunity anyway. He was kidding himself if he thought he would.So…Mercedes surely will give him a chance, it’s his ONLY chance and I’m with the majority of Kimi fans who want him to stay in F1 – to finish it off on a high note, because as far as Kimi was concerned, he was actually up for another few years at least before Ferrari threw a spanner in the works. Bastards.Pick up da phone Kimi! Look, I know you love and hate F1 together but you know it, there is unfinished business – even your manager said it. And I knew it! So let’s go and finish it, right? What’s the point in doing it later? 😦
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Yes, Saima-What’s the point in doing it later? So, Kimi make a call. Pleaseeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!
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Tks, ribbonseal, below is really interesting and make me smile.Interviewer: Kimi, have you ever got angry about anything?Raikkonen: Yeah, many times but more in normal life than racing.Interviewer: Can you give us examples?Raikkonen: No, not really.Interviewer: What are the kind of things that make you angry in normal life, as you say?Raikkonen: If you keep asking questions like those.
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Honestly the thing i like the most about Kimi, besides his amazing talent of course, is his laid-back personality and his "don’t give a shit" moments….but don’t u guys think he’s being a little bit too "laid-back"….how can he go on vacation and say he’ll decide what to do when he comes back??!! OMGGGGGG Kimi u’re killing me lolllPick up that damn phone and talk to Norbert….why not invite him on vaca. with u?! and there u could privately 😛 ….ok i’m surely loosing my mind.Mercedes is his only hope left (OUR only hope) i’m sure they will be competitive next year and i’m confident Kimi+Robertsons can reach a deal with them wiz A LITTLE BIT of compromise….i know Kimi said no compromise but c’mon Kimster it wouldn’t hurt u, plus salary won’t be an issue if they’re willing to offer the same amount of money they did to Button….remains PR and rally.I hope the Schumi rumors are false….well i think they probably are otherwise Kimi has no chance there coz Brawn will surely pick him over Kimi, Haug too coz he’s German….Michael can give them and F1 lots of publicity but i doubt he’ll back to his previous form, his days are gone……@Saima i totally agree with u when u said: "it’s a great thing Kimi didn’t go to McLaren now" i couldn’t agree more….personally i never liked Macca although i always dreamed of seeing him back there only bcoz i felt it was a great combo that worked very well better than Ferrari, but we were fooling out selves so was Kimi to think he would be treated equally: Macca now is Hammy’s team :P…."Good luck" JB hahahaha
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I was guessed Kimi negotiated with McLaren failed probably is not like what is been speculated about his high demand. I believe is more related to his demand for a few rallies, less PR plus others with consideration of pairing Hamilton with Button will be less hurt to the team than Hamilton + Kimi. Because they are too strong they probably afraid of what happened in 2007 when Hamilton pair with Alonso. Of course it is just my guessing.Whereas to Mercedez GP, I think it depends on how they value Kimi and whether they would accept those demands from Kimi other than $$ ??? Look at Ferrari, McLaren & Red Bulls’ drivers line up in 2010, Mercedez GP should consider Kimi seriously if they want to fight for the championship.
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Michael Schumacher will race in Formula 1 for Mercedes’ new team in 2010, BBC Sport’s Eddie Jordan believeshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/motorsport/formula_one/8368107.stmNot again!…
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Makes me wonder whether Schu is really intimidated by Kimi…Y now when he had the chance during the latter part of this year’s season to make a come back to F1 to replace Massa? Is the neck injury the real reason why he decided not to race alongside Kimi? Does the news circulating on Kimi’s impending sabbatical have something to do with his decision to come back?…Hmmm…Schu may have and edge on this as we all know that he has established years of successfull working relationship with Brawn in Ferrari…Kimi, on the other hand, only needs to pick up his phone and dial Norbert Haug’s number!…C’mon Kimi! Just pick up the phone pleeeeease…..
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